(Second of a series of three. The first one is here.)
Witches love their altars, and we especially love the many beautiful things we use to make our altars the unique structures they are. Taking them with us is rarely practical . . . so what can we do instead?
While I’m not out and about every month, I’m on the road nearly three months out of every year. To meet this need, I created a very tiny portable altar. (Actually, I created three, over time and with various pros and cons.)
This one is the first one I put together, and it lasted a good long time . . . until a very wet day when it was exposed to a lot of ***wet*** and basically disintegrated. Fortunately, it made it home before completely falling apart.
It was a cardboard box with a domed top, covered in red embroidered silk, which I loved because it helped keep negative energy away from my tools. It was about as deep as two packs of playing cards, and a single deck around. The kit holds:
Incense holder. Representing air, mine is a flat piece of pottery and holds a stick of incense (I like sandalwood). It’s in two pieces because it fits in the tin that way, and I have more than one opportunity if needed.
Penny. Representing earth, my penny is old enough to be almost pure copper, which appeals to me. Of course, any stone or bit of dirt will work for this element, but I like the association the penny has with the pentacle on my altar.
Post-it notes. These are great for quick petitions and sigils. I prefer purple because I associate it with magic, but any color or paper would work. (I’ve done magic using napkins from the cafeteria with a pen borrowed from the front desk.) You can burn, bury, dissolve or shred them and they do minimal environmental damage.
Cotton Embroidery floss. Pictured is dark brown, but any color will work, as will regular sewing thread. I prefer cotton as I find silk has magic-dampening properties, and polyester isn’t environmentally friendly. The floss can be used to bind paper petitions, sew sigils, or do knot magic.
Drawstring bag, cotton. This little beauty is a secret weapon in my traveling magical practice. It can hold herbs to make a tea, or a charm. I can sew or draw sigils on it. It can hold special items to tuck into a pocket or for offerings. It folds into a bit of nothing and usually holds the small items in my kit so they don’t rattle around.
Birthday candle, usually white. Representative of the element of fire, which is sometimes difficult to come by, the candle burns quickly and cleanly. I usually stick with white as it covers any magical intent.
Pendulum. Pictured is one made of lapis lazuli and silver, although I have several. Easier to carry around than a deck of tarot cards, a pendulum is my favorite way to divine while traveling.
Safety pin. Aside from all of its potential practical uses, a safety pin can be used to attach notes with sigils to fabric, like the lining of a purse, backpack, or piece of luggage.
Sewing needle. I use this to sew sigils and such on the bag, but it also can act like the safety pin, if a bit more precarious in its hold. Both the safety and sewing pins are made of steel and therefore have beneficial uses when encountering the fae (and my thanks to Morgan Daimler for that idea). Moreover, it can act as a (very tiny!) athame.
Tiny stones. I have a large collection of tiny stones that are perfect for magical use. The ones I use most often are a crystal point, turquoise, carnelian, malachite, and citrine.
And so you have my first traveling altar kit!